"They made absolutely no effort to chase the runs" - Nasser Hussain disappointed with England batsmen

Former England captain Nasser Hussain has reproached Joe Root and Co.'s batting approach in the first Test against New Zealand. Hussain said he found it 'odd' that the English batsmen didn't take a hit at the competitive target set by the visitors and simply shut shop too early.

In a sporting call, Kane Williamson made an early declaration to New Zealand's second innings at 169/6, setting a target of 273 in 75 overs. The hosts responded with some cautious batting at the top which got more cagey with every wicket and concluded with just 170 runs on the board after 70 overs to draw the Test. Dom Sibley top-scored with a 207-ball 60.

Nasser Hussain said England should have taken a cue from the opposing camp and pushed for a win at least until they were four or five wickets down.

"I did think it was a little odd, though, that England made absolutely no effort to chase the runs on the final afternoon. It was an excellent declaration by Kane Williamson because he could easily have settled for a bit of bowling practice ahead of the World Test Championship final. Instead, he wanted to push his team. So it was a shame England never picked up the gauntlet. I thought they could have attacked until they had lost four or five wickets, and then shut up shop if they were worried about losing," Nasser Hussain wrote in his column for Daily Mail.

Nasser Hussain observed that the ultra-conservative approach was because of England's 3-1 Test defeat in India in early 2021.

"Their problem, clearly, is that not enough of their batsmen felt in good enough nick to challenge a target of 273 in 75 overs. Instead, the approach seemed to be that we’ve just lost our last three Tests in India, so we need to steady the ship," added Hussain.

Match drawn 🏏England finish on 170/3 with Dom Sibley unbeaten on 60* and Ollie Pope on 20*.#ENGvNZ | https://t.co/PyjT1jqj3I pic.twitter.com/ze0T8FuNEV

— ICC (@ICC) June 6, 2021

Neil Wagner was the pick of the bowlers on the final day with his two wickets. Devon Conway, who scored a magnificent double ton on debut, was declared the Player of the Match.

"Dom Sibley needs a couple of more strings to his bow" - Nasser Hussain

Dom Sibley (L) and Ollie Pope walk back after drawing the Test

Dom Sibley has come under some criticism for his blockathon in England. However, Nasser Hussain defended the 25-year-old opener, saying that England can't 'moan' when someone has finally shown a spark to solve their long-standing paucity of openers. But the cricketer-turned-pundit also suggested that Sibley needs to add some versatility to his batting.

"England have tried top-order dashers, and they haven’t worked. We can’t complain that we’ve had no openers since Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook, and then moan when one of them suddenly shows a bit of stickability. But there has to be a balance between, say, Jason Roy and Sibley. And while Sibley must clearly be mentally strong to keep batting the way he does with his unique technique, he needs a couple more strings to his bow," concluded Nasser Hussain.

Edgbaston will host the second and final Test of the series, starting on June 10.

Dom Sibley now moves level with Pujara on nine 100+ ball innings since October 2019. #ENGvNZ https://t.co/mKfigqt8y9

— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) June 6, 2021